What does ramen mean to you? If you say it’s one of those things that come in packets that you add hot water to, my friend, I unfortunately have to make a revelation to you that it’s not! It is a completely different heavenly food made typically by Japanese masters who have perfected their cooking across generations to a form of art to present to hungry customers.
Ramen Basics
There are basically three parts of Ramen
1. The Broth
2. The Noodle
3. The Toppings
The Broth is the crucial ingredient of Ramen that gives this delicacy it’s body. Usually, the Broth is made of pork which is called Tonkotsu but I was able to find broth of chicken, dashi (a form of fish), and also fish. Close to the Hirakatashi station, there is a Ramen restaurant that serves tomato Broth Ramen which is ideal for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Other popular Broth options are the salt based Shio, the soy sauce based Shoyu, and bean paste based Miso. Nevertheless, this list is not by any chance all inclusive and chances are you will find a combination of one or many of these bases.
The Noodle is well the Noodle. But keep in mind that Ramen Noodle is thinner than for Udon (another Noodle food) and softer. Of course, you can always ask kindly to make the Noodle softer or firmer to your preference.
The Toppings include, but is not limited to, a meat item that is usually Tonkatsu (pork slice), but you can also find minced meat options at some places; Nori, also called seaweed; Tamago, Japanese style boiled egg (dare not say that it is a normal boiled egg), bamboo shoots; chopped green onion; bean sprouts; and spices like chilli oil, pepper, chilli pepper, and garlic paste. Different shops offer different combinations of these toppings with some shops where you can order extra toppings to include more.
So yeah… Ramen does not come in packets! At least the real ones! You are very welcome! ^_^
(Next post: where to find Ramen)